President Hu Jintao Sunday called for Taiwan and the Chinese mainland to reunite in a peaceful manner, as he marked the centennial of the revolution that ended China's imperial history.

"Achieving reunification through peaceful means is what most suits Chinese people's fundamental interests, including Taiwan compatriots," Hu addressed a big gathering at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing.

"We must strengthen our opposition to Taiwanese independence... and promote close exchanges and cooperation between compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait."

"We should ... end cross-Strait antagonisms, heal wounds of the past and work together to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," Hu said.

China's foreign exchange reserve exceeded 1 trillion U.S. dollars for the first time in October 2006 and exceeded 2 trillion U.S. dollars in June 2009. However, it only took less than two years for China's foreign exchange reserves to increase from 2 trillion U.S. dollars to 3 trillion U.S. dollars. The "acceleration" was obvious in the growth of China's foreign exchange reserves.

Shanghai--China has signed off a set of rules for its small but booming wealth management sector to temper rapid growth and prevent banks from exploiting loopholes to beat regulation.

More than just an area of growth, China's wealth industry has been used by banks to attract deposits and skirt lending restrictions, much to the chagrin of the central government which wants to control lending to manage inflation.

The new rules would, among other things, prohibit banks from using wealth products to attract deposits or from luring customers into buying products that do not conform with their risk appetites.

Shanghai--China's home prices fell for the first time in a year last month as a result of slack sales and tightening austerity measures, according to data released by China Index Academy.

Home prices fell an average 0.03 percent from August to 8,877 yuan (US$1,398) per square meter in 100 major cities across the country, the first monthly decline since September 2010, the property research company said.

Prices rose in 54 of 100 cities and fell in 44 cities in September from a month earlier.

BEIJING, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- After nearly two years of government efforts to cool the country's rampant property market, prospective homeowners are finding that housing prices may fall within their reach before long.

Home sales are drying up in many cities. Property developers are feeling strain from the credit crunch and higher borrowing costs. Analysts said real estate firms may be forced to cut prices due to the government's firm grip on the market, which has included purchase limits in cities and reduced liquidity.

Other measures put in place include higher down payments, the introduction of a property tax in some cities and the construction of low-income housing projects.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- A bill proposed by the U.S. Senate to punish China's alleged currency manipulation will not help the U.S. create jobs, but will lead to negative results, the Washington Post said on Monday.

BEIJING, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- China here Tuesday expressed firm opposition on the U.S. Senate's bill on Chinese yuan after it voted to allow a debate on the bill on so-called "currency manipulation" by China.

Such a move "seriously violates rules of the World Trade Organization and obstructs China-US trade ties," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a statement.

China's unmanned space module Tiangong-1 will blast off tonight from northwest China - the first stage in the country's plan to build its own permanent manned space station.

The 8.5-ton Tiangong-1, or "Heavenly Palace," will be fired into space between 9:16pm and 9:31pm, mainly to perform the country's first space-docking procedure, a key technique for the building and operation of a space station, Wu Ping, a spokeswoman for China's manned space program, said yesterday.

Sun Jiazheng, vice-chairman of the 11th National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's top political advisory body, said the cooperation between China and countries of West Asia and Africa has become closer in recent years, especially in the field of economics and trade. The bilateral trade volume has been steadily increasing for consecutive years.

He also expressed the willingness of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to further develop the communication and cooperation with the parties of countries from West Asia and Africa and deepen their friendship in order to promote new ways and channels of cooperation.

BEIJING - With chronic financial ailments and persistent high unemployment driving thousands of protesters to the streets in New York and 50 other cities, some US lawmakers are, tediously, again trying to blame the Chinese currency instead of addressing the real reasons for the country's economic woes.

BEIJING, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government will subsidize sales of energy-saving building materials in more rural areas as part of the country's efforts to improve living conditions of people in the countryside.

TIANJIN - The Chinese government will invest 2 trillion yuan ($313 billion) in the area of green economy and low-carbon development in the next five years, cutting 16 percent of per-unit GDP energy consumption compared to 2010, a senior official from China's top economic planner said on Saturday.

The late author's two-volume autobiographical novels had no takers in 1963, but have now seen the light of day. Chitralekha Basu and Mei Jia report.

Eileen Chang's literary career has been a little like her life story - unpredictable and fraught with drama.

A hugely successful writer in her early 20s in Japanese-occupied Shanghai at the time of World War II - when she wrote some of her best works like The Golden Cangue (1943) and Love in a Fallen City (1944) - Chang failed to secure a publisher for her two-volume autobiographical novels completed in 1963.

She was a US citizen then, having lived mostly in New Hampshire since 1955. Her novels The Fall of the Pagoda and The Book of Change, following the journey of a Chinese girl from age 4 to about 20, from Tianjin to Shanghai to a Hong Kong under siege in 1941, were written in English. But there were no takers for these stories in 1960s United States.

"The publishers here seem to agree that the characters in those two novels are too unpleasant, even that the poor are no better," Chang is quoted as saying in World Authors 1950-1970, A Companion Volume to 20th Century Authors (1975). "Here I came against the curious literary convention treating the Chinese as a nation of Confucian philosophers spouting aphorisms, an anomaly in modern literature."

The China Daily website is inviting foreign readers to share their China stories with our worldwide audience. Please send your story with your contact information to mychinastory@chinadaily.com.cn. Photos of the author or the story are also welcome.

BEIJING, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- China's State Council have issued a guideline on supporting central Henan Province to be built into a Central Plains Economic Zone for balanced development.

The guideline, publicized on Friday, positioned the Zone, covering entire Henan and radiating to the surrounding areas, as "a key grain production and modern agriculture base, a national model of coordinated development in industrialization, urbanization and agricultural modernization, an engine of national economic growth, a modern traffic hub as well as a center of Chinese civilization inheritance and innovation," taking advantage of its geographic location, abundant grain production, immense market potentials and solid cultural foundation.

The plan was made to secure food supply and promote the balanced development of different regions, it said.

It set the goal that the zone would preliminarily take shape by 2015 and be further built into a prosperous, environmental friendly region by 2020.

BEIJING, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- On September 30, some media reported that the Myanmar government will suspend the construction of Myitsone Hydropower Project in upstream Ayeyawady River, which caused extensive attention from media both home and abroad. For this, Lu Qizhou, President of China Power Investment Corporation, was interviewed by the Chinese media on Monday.

CHANGCHUN, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- China is seeking to push forward the establishment of a free trade area among Northeast Asian countries in order to further boost the economic and trade exchanges in the region, a senior political advisor said Wednesday.

"All countries in Northeast Asia should make efforts in building a regional cooperative framework and exploring the construction of a free trade area under the backdrop of global and regional economic integration," said Bai Lichen, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Bai made the remarks at the ongoing 7th China Jilin Northeast Asia Investment and Trade Expo in Jilin's capital city Changchun.

The mainland and Taiwan on Sunday separately marked the 100th anniversary of the 1911 Revolution that ended imperial rule in the country, with President Hu Jintao calling for peaceful reunification with Taiwan and the continued rejuvenation of the nation.

"A century ago, revolutionaries led by Sun Yat-sen launched the revolution, which shook the world and ushered in unprecedented social changes in China," Hu said at a grand ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

The revolution ended an absolute monarchy, spread the ideas of democracy and republicanism, and brought about massive social changes in the country, Hu said.The revolution, also known as the Xinhai Revolution, began on October 10, 1911, when battles erupted between imperial forces and revolutionary fighters in Wuchang, now part of the city of Wuhan in Hubei Province.

The movement quickly spread and became a nationwide armed uprising that toppled the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), China's last imperial regime.

President Hu Jintao (left) shakes hands with his predecessor, Jiang Zemin, at the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the 1911 Revolution at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Sunday

Nearly 120,000 people flooded Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing ahead of daybreak on Saturday to witness the flag-raising ceremony and celebrate National Day.

The crowd cheered and applauded as the five-star national flag was hoisted up.

"We love our country," said Zhu Langlang, a freshman from Beijing Union University who arrived at the square at 2 a.m. with a dozen classmates. "We hope China will grow stronger and our countrymen will lead even better lives."

Tiananmen Square was decked out with flags and lanterns and crowded with a multitude of sightseers eager to mark National Day in the typical way: witnessing the raising of the flag and touring the square.

"I was born in 1949, the same year that New China was founded," said a tourist from Tianjin surnamed Liu. "The country has changed greatly over the years and we should cherish our happy lives."

On Saturday morning, President Hu Jintao led the country's senior leaders in marking the 62nd founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China, and paying respect to the heroes who died for the country's independence and prosperity by placing flower baskets at the Monument to the People's Heroes on the Tiananmen Square.

New York, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese scientist was presented a prestigious U.S. award on Friday for the discovery of artemisinin, a drug therapy for malaria that has saved millions of lives across the globe, especially in the developing world.

"Love U, Teresa" is a Broadway-style musical play commemorates late Taiwan singer Teresa Teng (1953-1995). The musical is about Teng in heaven helping young musician Zhou Mengjun to pursue her dream with her music. The musical uses the simple values of love and loyalty celebrated in Teng’s songs. More than 30 of Teng’s greatest hits sung by two actresses who play Teng, including “I Only Care About You,” “The Long Road of Life” and “The Moon Represents My Heart.” The musical made its debut in Hong Kong in 2010 and was well-received. Many people said they could not believe the two singers/actresses looked so much like Teng.

BEIJING—Housing prices in China declined for the first time this year, according to a private index, and Beijing cut government-controlled fuel prices in response to tumbling global oil prices, two welcome developments in the country's battle against inflationary pressures.

BEIJING—China on Saturday cut government-controlled fuel prices on declining international oil prices, and said the move will help combat domestic inflation pressures.

The National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top economic planner, periodically adjusts domestic fuel prices in response to changes in global oil prices, but it also takes into account domestic economic factors such as inflation ...

SHANGHAI—China's housing prices in September recorded a modest month-over-month decline for the first time this year, according to a private market-data provider, indicating that the central government's campaign to cool the housing market had achieved some success in moderating prices.

Jiang Zemin, the former Chinese president and Communist party chief, made a surprise appearance in public Sunday for the first time since he was reported to be seriously ill–and possibly dead–three months ago.

Mr. Jiang, who is 85 years old, took a seat on stage among other Chinese leaders at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing during a ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the revolution that overthrew the Qing dynasty imperial government in 1911.

U.S. leaders took swipes at China on Thursday, as the Senate voted to advance a bill to penalize countries said to be manipulating their currencies and President Barack Obama accused the country of manipulating the yuan.

WASHINGTON—U.S. criticism against China swelled in Washington on Thursday as sharp words from President Barack Obama and a Senate vote on a currency measure illustrated how Beijing's policies are emerging as an issue in next year's elections.

Mr. Obama, at a White House news conference, accused China of manipulating the yuan and taking other actions to bolster its growth at the expense of the rest of the world.

House Speaker John Boehner on Tuesday said it was “dangerous” for lawmakers to pass legislation aimed at addressing concerns about China’s currency, saying it goes well beyond Congress’s responsibilities.

WASHINGTON—The Senate voted Monday to move ahead with a bill that would punish China for keeping the value of its currency low, a measure that lets lawmakers deflect some of the blame for the sour U.S. economy on another country.

With the Senate about to take up legislation to penalize China for “manipulating” its currency and keeping it artificially undervalued, we asked Peterson Institute of International Economics economist Arvind Subramanian to explain how calculations of under- and overvaluation are made. Mr. Subramanian is the author of a new book on China’s economic future, “Eclipse: Living in the Shadow of China’s Economic Dominance.” In recent Congressional testimony, he said China’s currency was about 15% undervalued, citing work by two colleagues at PIIE.

SÃO PAULO—Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co., the Chinese auto maker known as JAC, and its Brazilian partner said Friday that they decided to go ahead with plans to build a factory in the Latin American country on hopes that the government will modify a production tax.

“The war for global jobs is like World War II: a war for all the marbles. The global war for jobs determines the leader of the free world. If the United States allows China or any country or region to out-enterprise, out-job-create, out-grow its G.D.P., everything changes. This is America’s next war for everything.”

This past summer holiday, I finally read a 2006 book in Chinese written by the grand, old man of Chinese cultural linguistics, Professor Ji Xianlin (1911-2009). The title of his book crystallizes his view that culture and civilization are like a river that flows east for 30 years and then west for the next 30.

The 400-year-old Chengqi clan home in Fujian Province's Yongding County is known as the "king of earthen Hakka buildings." Known locally as ‘tulou,’ it received World Cultural Heritage status from the United Nation’s World Heritage Centre in 2008.

As the problems and costs of the genetically modified strategy multiply for United States farmers, the end of a profitable run in North America may be on the horizon - and salvation may come from big nations with enormous grain production issues, places like India and China, where governments crave a yield-increasing silver bullet. China has already floated the idea that its moratorium on commercial use of GM seed will continue - with the exception of corn.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin heads to China for a two-day visit at an important time for relations between the counties, and at an even more critical junction for the United States' "Silk Road" project to extend its influence in greater Central Asia. Beijing and Moscow will certainly want to hammer out an energy deal, while working on a viable counter-strategy to Washington.

China cannot risk deeper crisis in Europe, as the ensuing global recession and Europe-wide political disunity would dangerously alter global alignments. Rushing in with condition-free help for Westerners will rile a domestic constituency still suffering an imperialist mindset. However, a no-longer-isolated China must remember lessons of the Asian 1997 crisis, when magnanimity served Beijing's higher interests.

A Contest for Supremacy: China, America, and the Struggle for Mastery in Asia by Aaron L Friedberg

While arguing that a stark evaluation of Beijing's military strategy proves the United States has been overly optimistic in believing economic engagement would foster democracy, this book makes no alarmist predictions of China pursuing global hegemony. However, to alter deep-seated patterns of power politics drawing the countries toward conflict, the US needs to rebalance its China relationship by urgently addressing its own economic and political dysfunctions.

America's focus on the emerging challenge posed by China was first distracted by the "war on terror" and then the 2008 financial crisis, says author Aaron L Friedberg. In the meantime, Beijing advanced economically, developed asymmetric capabilities and grew assertive. China may not want to conquer Asia. However, it could extend a preponderant political influence over the region with dire consequences for the US.

THE ROVING EYE

An extreme traveler, Pepe's nose for news has taken him to all parts of the Pepe Escobar globe. He was in Afghanistan and interviewed the military leader of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, Ahmad Shah Masoud, a couple of weeks before his assassination